Wednesday November 1 Ag News

Nebraska Dairy Producer Recognized for Judicious Use of Antibiotics

Boehringer Ingelheim recognized three dairy producers who demonstrated their commitment to the well-being of animals, consumers and the industry with the judicious use of antibiotics in their Producers for Progress recognition program.

Megan Hickey of Prairieland Dairy in Firth, Nebraska, was chosen as the grand prize winner out of nearly 200 applicants. “I’m honored to be selected as the grand prize winner and advocate for the judicious use of antibiotics,” said Hickey. “As an industry, we need to do things better because our consumers are demanding it. If we don't listen to what consumers want, then we're not going to have a market for our product. We have to focus on preventive medicine and health.”

Because of the increased scrutiny from consumers, Hickey encourages all dairy producers to take a look at their antibiotic use to see where they can make improvements. “I personally believe in judicious use of antibiotics, from the cow's standpoint and animal care standpoint,” she explained. “For the past four years our operation has been very tuned in to using antibiotics only where they are needed. This means a cow does not get an antibiotic unless she is clinically diagnosed with a fever or a Gram-positive culture. We strive to treat every animal case-by- case and use little-to- no blanket mastitis treatment.”

The first-place winner, Becky Czarnezki of Miltrim Farms Inc. in Athens, Wisconsin, explained that her operation focuses on prevention to help reduce their antibiotic use. “Prevention is key,” she said. “We focus on finding the cause of illnesses in our cows to prevent them from happening.” When they have to treat, she said communication and good records help to hold them accountable. “If any treatments are given it is vital to ensure label usage and the proper milk withhold are being followed.”

Emily Gigandet of Envision Dairy LLC in Amsterdam, New York, is the second-place winner. Gigandet believes that reducing antibiotic use on the farm is a smart financial decision and moral obligation. “We work very closely with our team of veterinarians to adjust our treatment protocols and make sure they are as relevant and up-to- date as possible,” she explained. “We also pay close attention to our cow-side exam and diagnosis to ensure we are treating accordingly.”

Like most dairy producers, mastitis is Gigandet’s worst enemy. “Prevention is our best tool for mastitis, so proper vaccination is very important to us, along with cleanliness, routine maintenance and employee training.”

The perks of being a producer for progress? All applicants received a hooded sweatshirt for participating. Plus, Hickey will receive a John Deere Gator™ Basic Package XUV625i 4x4; Czarnezki will receive five pairs of Bogs® Rancher boots; and Gigandet will receive 10 Udder Tech® milking aprons for her team.

Each producer will also receive $250 to donate to the charity or nonprofit organization of their choice.

Hickey will be donating the money to the nonprofit organization Love in Action International Ministries, which built an orphanage in Guayaramerín, Bolivia. Hickey traveled to the orphanage in late September and is passionate about its goals.

“They are trying to make the orphanage self-sufficient,” explained Hickey. “They can't drink any of the water there, so plans are in place to build a processing plant and dairy farm where they can bottle milk and water. The goal will be to build a small store in town to where they can sell the products to make the orphanage profitable.”

The new Producers for Progress recognition program was announced in July as part of BI’s pledge to help protect the future of the industry. “Antibiotics are important to the well-being of
cattle, but we have a responsibility to use them at the right time, at the proper dosage, for the appropriate length of time, and with veterinary oversight,” said Dr. Craig Jones, director, cattle professional services for BI. “We are excited to salute these producers who have demonstrated a significant commitment to these practices.”

The program was targeted to customers of BI mastitis treatment products, and applicants were asked to answer questions about their preventive management practices, their views on
judicious use of antibiotics, and to describe their mastitis treatment protocols. Applicant names and operations were anonymous and judging was based on the following selection criteria:
-    Demonstrated understanding of and passion for judicious use of antibiotics
-    Commitment to animal well-being

Judges for the program included Dr. Sandra Godden, DVM, University of Minnesota; Dr. Patrick Gorden, DVM, Iowa State University; Dr. Linda Tikofsky, DVM, BI; and Dr. Craig Jones, DVM, BI.



Farmers Encouraged to “Keep the Stubble” During No-Till November

During a special month-long campaign called “No Till November”, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is encouraging Nebraska farmers to “keep the stubble” on their harvested crop fields and improve soil health.

The project is mirrored after the national cancer awareness “No Shave November” campaign. The “No Till November” campaign encourages farmers to keep a different kind of stubble by parking tillage equipment in their machine sheds this fall and keep crop stubble on their fields.

“No till farming is a cornerstone soil health practice, which also promotes water quality while saving farmers time and money,” said Acting State Conservationist Myron Taylor. “One of the first soil health principles is ‘do not disturb.’ This campaign is a fun way to remind farmers about the important relationship between tillage and soil health.”

Improving soil health increases soil biological activity, which provides erosion control, nutrient benefits and can simulate tillage.

Nebraska State Conservation Agronomist Corey Brubaker says fall tillage disturbs soil and removes valuable cover that can leave soil exposed and unprotected during harsh winter months. Other field-disturbing practices like baling corn stalks also removes valuable cover and nutrients from the field.

“Farmers who bale cornstalks for livestock bedding or sell it to other livestock producers could be entering into a losing proposition due to the lost nutrient value and soil health benefits,” Brubaker said.

Based on current commodity prices and the nutrient value in each bale, Brubaker says farmers should leave crop residue in the field especially if the fields are highly erodible and subject to conservation compliance.

“The plant residue left in the field after harvest is a valuable resource,” says Brubaker. “The value in cornstalks can be better used for reducing soil erosion, providing extra organic matter content in the soil, and contributing nutrients back to the soil.”

In Nebraska, cornstalk bales are currently selling for $45-75 per ton. The estimated cost of baling cornstalks, considering the value of the nutrients removed ($28/ton*), custom raking ($3/ton), and custom baling ($22/ton), is about $53 per ton. If bales are sold at the lower end of the current rate, farmers are not only losing money, but also the benefits of leaving residue on their fields.

Conservationists at the Natural Resources Conservation Service say the best thing producers can do for their cropland is to leave it undisturbed as much as possible. They encourage producers this November to not till their fields and keep crop residue in place to replenish the soil.

For more information on how to protect and improve soil quality, contact your local NRCS office or to www.ne.nrcs.usda.gov.



Cattle producers invited to 2017 Iowa Cattle Industry Leadership Summit

Cattle producers and friends of the industry are invited to attend the Iowa Cattle Industry Leadership Summit and Annual Meeting on December 7 and 8. The event will be held at the CPMI Center in Ames. Interested attendees may register online at www.iacattlemen.org or call 515-296-2266.

Iowa Cattle Industry Leadership Summit
The leadership summit will bring together the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association, Iowa Beef Industry Council and Iowa Cattlemen’s Foundation to celebrate the past year’s successes and work towards improving Iowa’s beef industry into the future.

The event begins on Thursday morning with registration at 9:00 and the keynote at 10:00.

Speakers throughout the day will cover beef exports, the impact of Iowa’s beef industry, and future opportunities for beef industry growth. Attendees will also hear from leaders of successful county cattlemen’s organizations and past presidents of the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association.

Lunch will be served by The Smokin’ Hereford, the winner of the 2017 Iowa’s Best Burger contest.

The Iowa Cattlemen’s Association policy meetings will also be held on Thursday, and the day will be capped off with the Iowa Cattlemen’s Foundation banquet and auction.

Friday morning will begin with a continental breakfast and keynote, followed by the Iowa Beef Industry Council annual meeting and Iowa Cattlemen’s Association annual meeting.

There is no cost to attend the Leadership Summit, but RSVPs are appreciated. Visit www.iacattlemen.org to for more information and to RSVP.



Use ISU Extension and Outreach Publications to Make Informed Manure Decisions

Harvest has arrived, and with it manure application season has begun. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach has resources available to help farmers make informed decisions about manure application this fall.

Manure can be a valuable commodity on a farm, and ISU Extension and Outreach publication “Manure: A Valuable Commodity” (AE 3607) looks at the value of manure and how its characteristics have changed.

“The first step to understanding how to get the most from manure is to collect a sample,” said Dan Andersen, assistant professor and extension agricultural engineering specialist at Iowa State University. “Believe me, this is worth your time and effort as manure offers a potential value of around $8 an acre.”

The steps for analyzing manure can be found in ISU Extension and Outreach publication “How to Sample Manure for Nutrient Analysis” (PM 1558). Two additional resources to help farmers make better manure application decisions after sampling are “How to Interpret your Manure Nutrient Analysis” (PM 3014) and “Using Manure Nutrients for Crop Production” (PMR 1003).

After determining how to apply manure, the final step is to get the manure into the ground.

“The biggest things to think about are the timing of application, method of application and making sure you are getting the most from your equipment,” Andersen said. “Regarding equipment, there are two things to check – making sure we are hitting the rate we want and then making sure the application is as uniform as possible.”

ISU Extension and Outreach publications “Calibrating Liquid Tank Manure Applicators” (AE 3601A) and “Distribution of Liquid Manure Application” (AE 3600) provide information on how to set up and monitor the amount of manure applicators are spreading.

The timing of manure application is also important. Delaying application until the soil temperature is less than 50 degrees F and cooling helps to ensure nitrogen will be there next year for crops to use. Anderson’s blog, The Manure Scoop, details the science behind the recommendation. Insuring this temperature recommendation is met is more important on ammonium-rich manures like liquid swine manure where the nitrogen is more readily available.

Much more information about the use of manure is available through The Manure Scoop, which is updated throughout the year.



EIA: Ethanol Stocks, Output Rise

The U.S. Energy Information Administration released a weekly report Wednesday, Nov. 1, showing increases for U.S. ethanol inventory, plant production and blending demand during the week-ended Oct. 27.

The EIA's Weekly Petroleum Status Report showed fuel ethanol stocks rose by 500,000 barrels (bbl), or 2.4%, to 21.5 million bbl, with a year-over-year surplus at 1.8 million bbl, or 9.1%.

Domestic plant production rose 17,000 barrels per day (bpd), or 1.6%, to 1.056 million bpd during the week reviewed, while up 34,000 bpd, or 3.3%, year over year. For the four weeks ended last week, ethanol production averaged 1.020 million bpd, up 27,000 bpd, or 2.6%, against the year prior.

Net refiner and blender inputs, a measure for ethanol demand, rose 5,000 bpd, or 0.5%, to 930,000 bpd, while up 8,000 bpd, or 0.9%, year over year. For the four-week period ended Oct. 27, blending demand averaged 929,000 bpd, up 11,000 bpd, or 1.2%.



USDA Fats and Oils: Oilseed Crushings, Production, Consumption and Stocks

Soybeans crushed for crude oil was 4.36 million tons (145 million bushels) in September 2017, compared to 4.55 million tons (152 million bushels) in August 2017 and 4.15 million tons (138 million bushels) in September 2016. Crude oil produced was 1.70 billion pounds down 3 percent from August 2017 but up 5 percent from September 2016. Soybean once refined oil production at 1.39 billion pounds during September 2017 decreased 8 percent from August 2017 but increased 2 percent from September 2016.

Canola seeds crushed for crude oil was 194 thousand tons in September 2017, compared to 152 thousand tons in August 2017 and 213 thousand tons in September 2016. Canola crude oil produced was 165 million pounds up 30 percent from August 2017 but down 10 percent from September 2016. Canola once refined oil production at 150 million pounds during September 2017 was up 10 percent from August 2017 but down 13 percent from September 2016. Cottonseed once refined oil production at 38.3 million pounds during September 2017 was down 24 percent from August 2017 but up 3 percent from September 2016.

Edible tallow production was 77.5 million pounds during September 2017, down 5 percent from August 2017 but up 13 percent from September 2016. Inedible tallow production was 298 million pounds during September 2017, down 6 percent from August 2017 and down 4 percent from September 2016. Technical tallow production was 85.6 million pounds during September 2017, down 12 percent from August 2017 and down 18 percent from September 2016. Choice white grease production at 103 million pounds during September 2017 decreased 7 percent from August 2017 and decreased 8 percent from September 2016.



USDA Grain Crushings and Co-Products Production

Total corn consumed for alcohol and other uses was 500 million bushels in September 2017. Total corn consumption was down 8 percent from August 2017 but up 3 percent from September 2016. September 2017 usage included 91.3 percent for alcohol and 8.7 percent for other purposes. Corn total corn consumed for beverage alcohol totaled 3.54 million bushels, down slightly from August 2017 but up 27 percent from September 2016. Corn for fuel alcohol, at 448 million bushels, was down 7 percent from August 2017 but up 3 percent from September 2016. Corn consumed in September 2017 for dry milling fuel production and wet milling fuel production was 89.8 percent and 10.2 percent respectively.

Dry mill co-product production of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) was 1.85 million tons during September 2017, down 10 percent from August 2017 and down 6 percent from September 2016. Distillers wet grains (DWG) 65 percent or more moisture was 1.28 million tons in September 2017, down 5 percent from August 2017 but up 7 percent from September 2016.

Wet mill corn gluten feed production was 322 thousand tons during September 2017, down 13 percent from August 2017 and down 1 percent from September 2016. Wet corn gluten feed 40 to 60 percent moisture was 280 thousand tons in September 2017, down 14 percent from August 2017 and down 8 percent from September 2016.



USDA Flour Milling Products

All wheat ground for flour during the third quarter 2017 was 234 million bushels, up 4 percent from the second quarter 2017 grind of 224 million bushels and up slightly from the third quarter 2016 grind of 233 million bushels. Third quarter 2017 total flour production was 108 million hundredweight, up 4 percent from the second quarter 2017 and up slightly from the third quarter 2016. Whole wheat flour production at 5.63 million hundredweight during the third quarter 2017 accounted for 5 percent of the total flour production. Millfeed production from wheat in the third quarter 2017 was 1.64 million tons. The daily 24-hour milling capacity of wheat flour during the third quarter 2017 was 1.62 thousand hundredweight.

Durum wheat ground for flour and semolina production during the third quarter of 2017 totaled 16.2 million bushels, up 1 percent from the second quarter 2017 but down 1 percent from the third quarter 2016. Third quarter 2017 durum flour and semolina production was 7.79 million hundredweight, up 2 percent from the second quarter 2017 and up 1 percent from the third quarter 2016. Whole wheat durum flour and semolina production was 194 thousand hundredweight, up 55 percent from 125 thousand hundredweight in the second quarter 2017 and up 7 percent from 181 thousand hundredweight from the third quarter 2016. Third quarter durum wheat millfeed production was 111 thousand tons and the daily 24-hour milling capacity for durum and semolina production was 127 thousand hundredweight.

Rye ground for flour during the third quarter of 2017 was 406 thousand bushels, down 8 percent from the second quarter 2017 and down 14 percent from the third quarter 2016. Rye flour production during the third quarter of 2017 was 206 thousand hundredweight, compared to 215 thousand hundredweight and 233 thousand hundredweight in the previous quarter and the same quarter
previous year. The daily 24-hour milling capacity for rye milling was 9.39 thousand hundredweight for the third quarter 2017.



USDA Announces Commodity Credit Corporation Lending Rates for November 2017

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Commodity Credit Corporation today announced interest rates for November 2017.  The Commodity Credit Corporation borrowing rate-based charge for November is 1.375 percent, up from 1.250 percent in October.

The interest rate for crop year commodity loans less than one year disbursed during November is 2.375 percent, up from 2.250 percent in October.

Interest rates for Farm Storage Facility Loans approved for November are as follows, 1.625 percent with three-year loan terms, up from 1.500 percent in October; 1.875 percent with five-year loan terms, up from 1.750 percent in October; 2.125 percent with seven-year loan terms, up from 2.000 percent in October; 2.375 percent with 10-year loan terms, up from 2.125 percent in October and; 2.375 percent with 12-year loan terms, up from 2.250 percent in October.



Major Fertilizer Prices Stabilize

Prices for the eight major fertilizers appear to be stabilizing as only UAN32 and urea showed increases the fourth week of October 2017 compared to one month earlier, according to fertilizer retailers surveyed by DTN.

UAN32 led the way with an average price increase of about 8% to $262 per ton. The average price of urea came in 1% higher at around $325/ton.

The average prices of three fertilizers dropped. Anhydrous, 10-34-0 and UAN28 all saw 1% drops, at $393/ton, $407/ton and $205/ton, respectively.

The prices for MAP, DAP and potash remained virtually unchanged at $453, $431 and $347 per ton, respectively.

On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was at $0.35/lb.N, anhydrous $0.24/lb.N, UAN28 $0.37/lb.N and UAN32 $0.41/lb.N.

Four of the eight major retail fertilizers are now lower compared to one year earlier. Two of the four are double digits lower. Anhydrous is now 17% lower from a year ago, while 10-34-0 is 10% less expensive and UAN28 is 8% lower. UAN32 and MAP remain unchanged, while potash and urea are higher by 11% and 3%, respectively.



Sixty-Four House Members Tell Pruitt RFS has Failed

A bipartisan group of 64 lawmakers in the United States House of Representatives on Wednesday asked U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt to consider what they say are the negative effects of the Renewable Fuel Standard, in a letter sent to Pruitt.

Pressure applied to EPA on potential changes to the RFS in recent weeks by Midwest members of Congress, led the agency to back down. This week, the EPA sent the final 2018 renewable volume obligations in the RFS to the Office of Management and Budget.

As a result of the agency's actions, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is holding up the confirmation of Bill Northey to a key USDA post, in attempt to convince President Donald Trump's administration to meet with federal lawmakers from oil-producing states about their RFS concerns.

The letter sent to Pruitt on Wednesday is led by Reps. Bob Goodlatte, R-Virginia, Peter Welch, D-Vermont, Steve Womack, R-Arkansas, and Jim Costa, D-California.

"For over a decade, the American people have been forced to live with the Renewable Fuel Standard, a well-intentioned but deeply flawed policy that has negatively impacted families and businesses across the United States," the letter said.

"When the RFS was first passed in 2005, it was designed to reduce our country's dependence on foreign oil, to protect the environment, and to revitalize rural America. However, as we look in the rear-view mirror, it's clear that the RFS accomplished none of these goals. By diverting more than 35% of the annual corn harvest to fuel additive, the RFS has raised the cost of livestock production, increased food price volatility and insecurity, decreased fuel efficiency, damaged small-engine equipment, hurt the environment, and chipped away at household budgets. The combined effects of this ethanol mandate have created a hidden tax on every American consumer. Simply put, in its current state, the RFS has run out of gas.

"American families and our economy have shouldered the costs of the failed ethanol mandate for far too long. As members of Congress representing communities in every region of the United States, we urge the EPA to continue to acknowledge that the RFS has significant pitfalls and costs in future rulemaking. We look forward to working with you to put forth well-founded biofuels policies that reflect market realities and benefit American families and businesses."

The EPA had announced in a notice a proposal to further reduce the renewable volume blend requirements for advanced biofuels, biomass-based diesel volumes for 2018 and 2019, and the total renewable fuel volumes in the RFS.

EPA also reportedly considered a proposal from Valero Energy to leave renewable identification numbers, or RINs, attached to U.S. ethanol gallons produced in the U.S. and exported. Currently, the credits are removed from exported gallons. The biofuels industry is concerned that doing so would flood the market with RINs and harm domestic biofuel producers.



NMPF Building Support in Congress to Approve DAIRY PRIDE Act, Force FDA to Take Action on Mislabeled Dairy Imitators

Efforts to expose the deceptive labeling and marketing of plant-based products that exploit the nutritional halo of real dairy products continues to gain traction and “has these fake food marketers worried,” attendees here at the National Milk Producers Federation’s annual meeting heard this week by the organization’s leadership.

NMPF President and CEO Jim Mulhern told the organization that he remains committed to achieving passage in Congress of the DAIRY PRIDE Act (DPA), legislation in the Senate and House that would require the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to enforce existing food labeling standards and prevent misbranded plant-based imitators from appropriating federally-defined dairy terms on their labels.

The Senate bill, S. 130, was introduced in January by Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI).  The companion House bill, H.R. 778, was introduced later that month by Reps. Peter Welch (D-VT), Sean Duffy (R-WI), Mike Simpson (R-ID), Joe Courtney (D-CT), David Valadao (R-CA) and Suzan DelBene (D-WA).

FDA regulations (CFR 131.110) define “milk” as a product of a cow, with similar definitions for yogurt and cheese products. Though existing federal policy is clear on this classification, “the FDA has unfortunately allowed these decidedly non-dairy copycats made from nuts, beans, seeds and grains to label their products using dairy-specific terms,” Mulhern said.

Mulhern told the dairy farmer members of NMPF during the organization’s 101st annual meeting that the U.S. regulatory system for food labeling is failing consumers, as it fails to adjust to the proliferation of foods mimicking real dairy products. He said that in the absence of a strong federal role in food labeling, nutritionally inferior imitators will continue to pass themselves off as suitable substitutes for real milk.

He noted that vegan organizations have organized to oppose the DPA “because they recognize that the attention we’ve brought to this issue through the introduction of the DAIRY PRIDE Act shines a spotlight on the nutritional inferiority of fake dairy products, in comparison to real milk and dairy products. Once Congress enacts this legislation, FDA will no longer be able ignore their own existing regulations.”

While FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb has recently expressed interest in having his agency look more carefully at the labeling issue, passage in Congress of the DPA is needed to force the FDA to act on the matter.



Land O'Lakes, Inc. Announces Increased Third Quarter 2017 Results

Land O'Lakes, Inc. today announced increased third quarter 2017 financial results with quarterly net earnings of $47.5 million, up from third quarter net earnings in 2016 of $8.1 million. Similarly, year-to-date net earnings were also higher at $270.4 million on sales of $10.2 billion versus net earnings of $246.4 million on sales of just under $10 billion for the same time period in 2016, reflecting an overall increase of approximately 9.8 percent. Third quarter sales remained constant at $2.8 billion for both 2017 and 2016.

Third quarter earnings benefitted from strong performance in Crop Inputs and Animal Feed which was partly offset by lower earnings in Dairy Foods and investments in Land O'Lakes SUSTAIN. Earnings in Crop Inputs were driven by higher volumes in alfalfa and improved margins in crop protection products. Animal Feed volumes were lower than 2016 levels but margins and product mix improved across the portfolio. Dairy Foods benefited from strong volumes in foodservice but overall margins were lower due to declines in global milk powder markets, which impacted pricing.

"Despite strong headwinds and volatility in commodities, Land O'Lakes, Inc. continues to grow based on smart investments and a focused strategy," said Chris Policinski, president and CEO of Land O'Lakes, Inc. "The recently finalized merger between WinField and United Suppliers has given the company the opportunity to drive costs out of our business and improve pricing and service for our members, giving them an advantage in the market and the ability to run their operations more profitably."

Ames, Iowa-based United Suppliers and Land O'Lakes, Inc.'s crop protection and seed businesses combined in October 2015 and operate as WinField United. The two companies completed their merger in early October 2017.

Also during the third quarter, the company celebrated the grand opening of the WinField United Innovation Center in River Falls, Wisconsin, a 55,000-square-foot product and technology development and testing facility that will help give farmers better tools to grow crops more sustainably. In July, the company kicked off the Land O'Lakes Farm Bowl, a celebration of modern farming as part of its Founding Partnership with the Minnesota Super Bowl Host Committee.



ADM Reports Lower Earnings During Third Quarter

Citing a challenging agricultural services and oilseeds environment, Archer Daniels Midland Co. reported on Tuesday earnings below expectations for the third quarter, which ended Sept. 30. ADM posted third-quarter earnings of 34 cents per share, 45 cents per share on an adjusted basis.

The results did not meet Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of seven analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of 55 cents per share.

Results overall were also down compared to the third quarter of 2016. ADM reported segment operating profit of $485 million, compared to $645 million the prior year. Net profit attributable to ADM was $192 million from $341 million in 2016. Revenue was $14.83 billion, down 6.3 percent.

Some good news was in corn processing, which includes ethanol operations, where profit was reported at $253 million compared to $214 million last year. Ag services fell from $195 million in 2016, to $87 million year over year, while oilseeds processing dropped from $145 million to $119 million.

This comes on the heels of a second quarter in which ADM surprised Wall Street with a profit of $276 million, exceeding analysts' expectations.



Hormel to Buy Premium Deli-Meat Producer for $850 Million

Hormel Foods Corp. said Tuesday it will buy Arbor Investments' deli-meat business for roughly $850 million, the latest ripple in a wave of consolidation hitting the packaged foods industry.

The Spam maker is betting that adding Columbus Manufacturing Inc., which focuses on high-end cuts of meat, to its portfolio will help the company appeal to shoppers who are increasingly looking for fresher foods that they perceive are healthier.

"Columbus is capitalizing on one of the fastest-growing areas in the retail grocery store with premium, authentic products that are on-trend with today's consumers who are looking for unique experiences, flavors, and products," said Hormel Chief Executive Jim Snee in a statement.

Chicago-based Arbor Investments, which focuses on food and beverage business, bought Columbus Manufacturing Inc. in 2012 for an undisclosed sum. Since the acquisition, the private-equity firm's assets under management have grown to $1.5 billion from $700 million.



Arysta LifeScience Unveils EVEREST® 3.0 Herbicide

Greater weed control with improved ease of product use is now available to wheat growers.
Arysta LifeScience North America recently introduced EVEREST® 3.0 Herbicide, the patent-pending formulation with built-in safener technology.

“EVEREST 3.0 changes the game for weed control in spring, durum and winter wheat,” said Chad Effertz, Head of Research and Development, Arysta LifeScience. “With greater stability of the product’s active ingredients, wheat growers will note enhanced performance in weed control, longer shelf life for the product and unsurpassed ease of use.”

Even Tougher on the Toughest Weeds
The new carrier technology in the patent-pending EVEREST 3.0 formulation helps growers get rid of even the hardest-to-kill weeds, including:
    yellow foxtail,
    wild oat,
    green foxtail,
    bromes,
    barnyard grass, and
    rattail fescue.

Easier to Use
With low use rates and best-in-class crop safety, the highly concentrated formula of EVEREST 3.0 now features unsurpassed ease of use.

“Arysta LifeScience listened when wheat growers said that with no-till farming and the ever-changing climate, they are fighting a different grass weed spectrum today than years before. They needed a better, more comprehensive, broader-spectrum solution on hard-to-kill weeds,” Effertz added. “While the formulation in EVEREST 3.0 may be new, growers will get the same, dependable Flush after flush® control of key grass and broadleaf weeds with this herbicide. It’s a highly concentrated formula with a new ultra-low use rates partnered with application and tank-mix flexibility. It’s no wonder wheat growers call it the best Group 2 herbicide out there.”